Death of a Stranger: A William Monk Novel Paperback – September 28, 2010

I suspect Perry’s books are full of sexual deviants, but this was Victorian England, after all. Despite being fascinated by sex, the Victorians pretended to be ignorant on the subject. They were obsessed, and sex was used to control and repress.This novel has more than just the twisted Victorian sexual morality, it has an outstanding, complex mystery.

In this book, Hester has set up a house in Coldbath Square to treat injured prostitutes. Monk is hired by a young woman to find fraud in a company that her fiance works for and avoid a possible rail crash. How Hester and Monk, along with Rathbone discover the whole story makes for a fascinating read. It was wonderful to have the mystery of Arrol Dundas' death answered and some of the questions from Monk's past answered. Another great addition to the series.

I have read several books in this series. They always keep me involved. The plot is captivating and frequently involves some unexpected events toward the end. The main characters are intriguing, and while they are relatable, they are sometimes surprising. This has become one of my favorite series.

I absolutely LOVE the William Monk Novels. This is one of the best so far! Truly some tense moments, several in fact. The end had me gasping, and I had white knuckles holding my Tablet. I am reading them in order, and I must admit that this one is more thrilling than any the previous ones. Monk, Hester, and Sir Oliver are so REAL to me, and I can't WAIT to start the next in this series.

Enjoyed the plot, the sense of time and place

I am glad Monk finally regained his memory. It was getting really repetitive the memory gaps. it took up more of the book than necessary, I think. I still bought the next book, I’m loyal.

Monk finds out his past, which is revealed slowly, culminating in a court trial. As usual this book is well written, leading the reader bit by bit, to big reveal.

This novel had many plots and subplots involving Monk, Hester, and Monk's past. Each book brings Monk closer to the truth of his life before his accident. Hester, as usual, is fighting the morals battles of women and the poor. She reasons that prostitution is bad, but that women have few avenues open for earning wages. Monk investigates fraud in land deals and the operations of the railroad. Anne Perry writes in the detailed style of Elizabeth George, but provides less psychological analysis than George. I enjoy reading both authors, and may venture into Perry's Thomas Pitt series.

Love this series.

Que de rebondissements dans ce livre où une fois de plus, Monk confronté à son passé croit y trouver un épisode où il s'est comporté de la manière la plus vile.

Am loving the William Monk series

I enjoyed this story more than the recent ones in this series - and I enjoyed all of them, too! The strands tying together Hester's and Monk's enquiries is cleverly done, as is Rathbone's involvement when the trial begins towards the end of the book. I was fascinated by Monk's continuing battle to recover his memory, and the elusiveness of that memory which makes him desperately anxious about the type of man he might have been. I know nothing about loss and recovery of memory, but I imagine that it can be as the author has described - something niggling at the edge of consciousness which won't come to the fore; a much more acute version of struggling to remember a name, or the event it relates to, which happens to all of us from time to time [especially as we get older!].It has been interesting to see Monk slowly change from the abrasive, arrogant man he was at the beginning of the series to the man with much greater understanding and compassion - without altering his personality beyond recognition. This is partly due to the fact that he has discovered his soul-mate in Hester, who he loves without bounds, and partly to his own acceptance that he prefers the man he is becoming to the man he was, prior to his memory loss.I also find the Monk's relationship believable - they are both working, have external influences which affect their moods and beliefs, and are not always able to discuss it with each other. Like many couples, they don't falter in their love for one another, but cannot always bring themselves to discuss issues which would clear up a lot of anxiety if they shared their concerns.I will certainly continue with this series

Anne Perry is great if you like historical based stories. I have now read everything she has written in the William Monk series. She also has an interesting story. Overall a great books.